Laser Speed 13cm

Rating

Description

The LASER SPEED ice screw starts easily due to the optimized drill shape. Strength and durability are improved due to the steel tube and specific threading. The integrated flexible crank gives an optimized lever, making it easier and faster to screw in.

Retail price

US$ 59.95

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Length (cm)

Short - 13 cm and below

Short screws (“shorties” or “stubbies”) are for thin ice found on harder ice climbs and/or in crappy conditions.

Medium - 14 - 17 cm

With ideal conditions climbers will be able to plug medium-sized screws with no problem. They have a nice weight to length balance.

Long - 18 cm and above

Long screws are most often used as anchors or in crappy ice conditions where they can go deep to find the real ice below. Mountaineers may also prefer long screws as they can gain better purchase in less than ideal ice and have less chance of melting out.

How Many To Carry

There is no standard of how many screws to carry of each size.
It will vary depending on where you’re climbing, your style of climbing and what level you’re climbing at. Some climbers will get a variety of the sizes, while others might get a majority of medium screws, a few shorties for thin spots and some long screws for anchors and bomber placements.

Note: The amount of threading on each screw does not change even when the overall length changes (exception: e-climbs screws).

13 cm

Feature(s)

Features

No Handle / Knob

About 30% of the options

Pros: Cheaper

Cons: No “speed” handle/knob for faster threading

Note: This is not currently a feature to filter on (coming soon), but is important to see the difference.

Handle (non-fold)

About 24% of the options

Pros: There is an extra “handle” or “knob” for faster screw threading. Cheaper than folding versions.

Cons: Some of the knobs stick out substantially and could cause the rope or draws to get caught on the lengthened handle.

Handle (folding)

Around 42% of the options

Pros: Foldable handle allows for quick threading and reduces snagging potential by folding out of the way.

Cons: More expensive.

Color Coding

Nearly 70% of the screws are color-coded, and this represents nearly all of the screws that have handles/knobs (color coding can also be on the hanger or the tube itself).

Pros: Like on cams, color-coding makes for faster size identification.

There are 7 brands that follow red, yellow, blue, gray, green as a small to large standard, but that is not consistent across the industry.

Sewn Sling (Pre-Attached to the Hanger)

Pro: You don’t have to carry quickdraws, so it saves weight and speed of clipping.

Con: The length of this sling may not be ideal and it is not adjustable

2 Clip Points on the Hanger

Pro: More clipping options, especially ones that are closer to the ice to reduce leverage in a fall situation.

Con: This comes standard on only a few screws so your options are limited. On some configurations this will also make the hanger much larger.

Reverse Threading

This is the most controversial feature. Grivel and CAMP (which make up 30% of the ice screw market) use reverse threading on all of their screws and claim that this angle is more effective at spreading an impact load across ice.

These are the best ice screws i've tried, and i've used all the ones readily available in North America. They bite fast and crank in very well. I'd prefer a longer hanger and two biner holes but i can live without both. Besides the aluminum ones seem to weigh nothing at all and the weight savings is hard to live without.

We try to simulate all activities with our testing, but stopped short of taking falls on the Petzl Laser Speed Ice Screws. However, given the design and ease of driving these screws we them a big thumbs up. In addition to the Laser Speed Ice Screw, Petzl has also just released the Petzl Speed Ice Screw. All the same features except the color coded fold out handle. Check them both out.

“Hands down, the easiest screw I have ever used for starting in hard ice,” said one ecstatic tester after deploying Petzl’s new screws on water ice all over Colorado. Petzl optimized the aggressive steel teeth on the Laser series by lengthening them, and it shows with the increased ease of placement. “I rarely failed to start the screw with just one jab, which is a real blessing when you’re pumped,” another tester said. Laser Speed screws (four sizes, 10 to 21cm) have a fold-up crank that nestles nicely against the hanger when racked on your harness, and the Laser screws (three sizes, 13 to 21cm) are crankless to save weight. Color-coded handles on the Laser Speeds delineate length so you can grab the right one at a glance. Testers loved these screws, so look out for summer 2014’s newest iteration, an even lighter version: the Laser Speed Lite, with an aluminum shaft and hanger and inset steel tip with the same quick-biting teeth. Our testers are already fighting over samples.